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Riverside Café 

Riverside Cottage, Spring Hill
London, E5 9BL  map

Tel: 020 8806 4448

An able-bodied adult could throw a stone over the River Lea from Walthamstow to land on the  terrace of the Riverside Café, so although the Riverside is in E5 (Clapton) we think it's close enough, pleasant enough and unusual enough to be included on this site. Don't try the business with the stone, though. You might hit somebody important.
The Riverside, as the name suggests, rests alongside the River Lea as it drifts past the north western corner of Walthamstow Marsh Nature Reserve, at the the bottom of Spring Hill (see map). The recently replaced bridge crosses the river to link Coppermill Lane path to this charmingly ramshackle building. The Riverside is also adjacent to Springfield Park and is an ideal and relaxing place to visit on those sunny days we so long for.
Apart from a liberal amount of chairs and tables on the canal front there is a small garden to the side and half a dozen tables inside. The Riverside gets quite busy at weekends, particularly on warm days, so don't be disappointed if you miss out on one of the riverside tables. The menu includes jacket potatoes, omelettes, sandwiches, baguettes and a small range of basic pasta dishes along with the usual fry-ups. There is also a children's menu.
If you've never ventured this far west you really should. The Marshes are one of the more attractive parts of Walthamstow and the Riverside café is a perfect place to rest while you watch the canal boats and members of Lea Rowing Club float past...

May 2009

View of the café from the bridge over the River Lea